Spring vacation here in Oregon was very rainy! Lovana was working quite a bit, so hung around with us for one night, then went to stay with Grandma in town. Ja’Ana was with us for the first part of our camping trip. Then, she went on her long-anticipated mission trip with her youth group. Patsy was stuck with us for quite a bit of the remaining time. She was not sorry to be an only child for a few days:) We wanted to give her some special attention no matter what the weather. So, we did quite a few things under our umbrellas!
The first place we went was Detroit Lake State Park. We went camping and had a couple of nice days during the first part of our trip. We came down the mountain a couple of times for a 4H event and Sunday for church. When we went camping again for a couple of days, the weather turned to rain, rain, and more rain. 
Patsy wasn’t convinced that a hike in the rain would be fun. In fact, she was pretty resistant to the idea. She was enjoying her crafts and books inside the cozy camper. But we wanted to get out and get some exercise! When we were done, she told me it was a LOT more fun than she thought it would be. I’m glad she enjoyed herself. It was a nice hike, in my opinion.
The lake and forest have a beauty during the rain that is different, but still lovely to me.
When zoo day came, there were no more protests about going out on a rainy day. The zoo is a place Patsy has not been to for several years and she has been wishing to go. So, we went, and had a wonderful time.
The rain came and went. We didn’t see all of the zoo, but did make it to most of the animal exhibits. We had to leave, as it was closing, but will go back another day.
We didn’t use our umbrellas every day. Patsy and I went to the mall on Thursday. After trying on a LOT of clothes, she was able to choose the perfect dress. We are anticipating that we will get a call from a lawyer or the state within the next month or two, giving us a date to appear before the judge and finalize her adoption. For all of the other girls, I have sewn dresses for their adoptions. This time, with so many things packed up in the basement in anticipation of moving and the extra work involved with moving, I can’t be sure I will get any sewing done. So, we bought one, and put it in my closet, so there will be no pressure on the big day, no matter what the circumstances.
So, that was the first time I had ever taken her to mall by herself, and we enjoyed ourselves. In fact, we so rarely go, that I think it’s only the 4th or 5th time I’ve ever taken her. We got her some jeans and a couple of clearance items she could use along with “THE DRESS”, some tops for me, our piece of See’s candy, and ate lunch there. Finally, she asked to go home. It was overwhelming for her, as it’s very rare, and she was tired. So, we went home, tired and happy.
Now, she has the yucky cold that I’ve had all week, so she’s just watching movies that we got at the library this morning. The other girls will all be home by tonight, so her special time is over. Hopefully, she will have some good memories to treasure. I know I do.
That is so sweet you were able to spend one-on-one time with Patsy! I have an older brother who went away to Cadet Camp each summer when he was a teenager. I remember looking forward to that time when I could be an only child for a while.
I can also relate to the rainy days spent in a camper. Growing up, my family also had a camper and we took vacations every summer with it. When we were older, my parents put the camper in a seasonal site, where the trailer stayed put in the lot and we spent time at it like a cottage. Your pictures of the rainy lake bring back lots of wonderful memories!!!
We decided to take our daughter to the Toronto Zoo over March break as well. They currently have some “new additions”, including 2 panda cubs, a polar bear cub, a baby rhino and a litter of white lion cubs. All of them were just old enough to go on display, starting the week of March break, so it was the perfect time to visit while they were still small (or at least as small as we were ever going to see them). It was overcast and we did get rained on a bit, but that’s OK. It kept the crowds to a minimum…and that’s always a good thing for my daughter! So glad to hear that Patsy enjoyed her day at the zoo, too!!!
I’m glad you got to see the “babies.” Young animals are SO cute! Because we went later in the day, many of the people with young children were leaving, so it wasn’t too crowded for us either:)
Praying all goes well with the adoption.
Jane
Thanks! Patsy has been in foster care for over 3 years now, and is very impatient for this to get finalized. We saw her caseworker today and she got an email at the beginning of March that we were getting close–so here’s hoping it happens soon! These things take a very long time. Right now, we are just waiting on paperwork and for a date to go in front of the judge to get things finalized.
It looks like you guys had a lovely time! You’re tougher than me about the rain, though. Well, it’s not so much the rain that’s the problem, it’s the mud. I hate mud. But the zoo in the rain wouldn’t be so bad!
Sounds like Patsy had some alone time with the two of you, and you all enjoyed it. Memories for all 3 of you to treasure. 🙂
Yes. Since we have 8, we treasure time with each one of them when we get the occasion! Also, since we have only had Patsy for around 2-1/2 years, we haven’t had very many occasions to have only her for a few days. This is probably the longest time, actually, so far. I know she enjoyed it so much that she keeps asking me if I want to play a game or watch tv with her—bless her heart. Hopefully, we will have a little more time to spend with her now that the house is on the market and we just have to keep it clean and leave all the time for it to show. Today when we had to leave, I took her to the library. She enjoyed that.
Sounds like a great week. Love the pictures! While I am not a fan of camping in the rain, it sounds like you made the best of things. The lake looks beautiful. What special memories!
Hope your house sells quickly, and I hope that the adoption goes smoothly.
Thank you. We are already approved, etc., for the adoption. Now, we are just waiting, waiting, waiting, for the paperwork to get done down in Salem (Oregon). One of these days, someone will call and say –“Come to this place at this time”–and of course, we will go:) I’m not the most patient person, but am trying to be more patient. It will be so good for Patsy to have permanency, as well.